Friday, November 13, 2009

Win a pink Vespa & Diamonds while supporting a worthy cause!

‘V’ is for Victory over Breast Cancer Fertility Challenges at MyVision.org

A pink Vespa, diamonds and Visionary Girls get the (fund-raising) party started

LOS ANGELES – Nov. 12, 2009 – The change of the calendar from October to November doesn’t mean breast cancer research and education comes to a stop. To the contrary: at My Vision, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit agency devoted to preserving the fertility of young women affected by cancer, the fight continues in high gear with a special charity auction of a pink Vespa LX 50, accessorized by a V-shaped diamond necklace. Anyone can bid starting Nov. 12 through Dec. 3, 2009, by visiting www.MyVision.org/Vespa.

One-hundred percent of the online auction proceeds will support My Vision’s unique work. Breast cancer is the leading cancer affecting women in the age 18 to 45 reproductive years. Chemotherapy, surgery and other cancer treatments can make it extremely difficult for a woman to ever have children and can even cause sterility.

“Women have just two to six weeks to consider their fertility options prior to treatment,” said Alice Crisci, founder of My Vision. “And sadly, only 10 percent of oncologists discuss fertility options with their patients. My hope is to give all women a chance to preserve their eggs before undergoing cancer treatment.”

Crisci was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 at the age of 31. Knowing she wanted to be a mother, she immediately sought answers to her infertility concerns and found very few medical or financial resources to help. Prior to her double mastectomy, she decided to have one round of in vitro fertilization done at the Southern California Reproductive Center. After retrieving 31 eggs, Alice’s doctors where able to preserve 14 frozen embryos with donor sperm from the California Cryobank (CCB) and 11 frozen eggs. Undergoing the fertility process and subsequent cancer treatments inspired Alice to start My Vision.

“At My Vision the letter “V” symbolizes vitality, vision and victory against the disease,” said Crisci. “It also represents Venus the goddess of love, beauty and fertility; so I decided to choose five inspiring breast cancer survivors who personify these characteristics to be our Visionary Girls.”

The Visionary Girls, all of whom were diagnosed with breast cancer in their late 20s to early 40s, are lending their energy to launch the auction and will also star in the 2010 My Vision calendar. Like breast cancer survivors around the world, they come from every walk of life. Lisa Hochberg is a Wharton Business School graduate, business consultant and karaoke lover; Christine Romer is an avid golfer and MBA candidate at Pepperdine University; Sylvie Forrest is a french actress, award-winning sculptor, trained precious jewelry maker, and speaks four languages; Amanda Cassel is a real estate analyst and supporter of Western/Eastern integrated medicine; Ito Maya is a Japanese interpreter; and Alice Crisci is an entrepreneur who frequently lectures and speaks about business topics. Uniting them is a cancer diagnosis that threatened their chances of becoming mothers. My Vision’s mission is to share their success stories with the thousands of women who face similar challenges to motherhood.

The “V” auction begins Nov. 12, 2009, and runs through 3 p.m. EST on Dec. 3, 2009. In addition to the pink Vespa LX 50 and the V-shaped diamond necklace, the winning bidder also receives an autographed, framed photo of all the Visionary Girls. More details can be found on My Vision’s Web site atwww.MyVision.org/Vespa or on Vespa USA’s Web site at www.VespaUSA.com.

About My Vision

My Vision is a breast cancer awareness project of community partners. The charity educates women touched by breast cancer during their reproductive years about the risk chemo poses to their fertility as well as the fertility preservation options available to patients prior to treatment. Founded by Alice Criscia few weeks after her own cancer diagnosis, My Vision is a nonprofit organization that relies on the support of private donors to help protect the vision of each young woman's future when she is diagnosed with breast cancer or learns she carries the breast cancer gene. For more information visit their Web site at www.MyVision.org.

About the Piaggio Group

Established in 1884 by Rinaldo Piaggio, and based in Pontedera (Pisa), Italy, the Piaggio Group is one of the world’s top manufacturers of two-wheel motor vehicles. With more than 7,000 employees, an annual production of more than 708,000 vehicles in 2007, five R&D centers, seven production facilities in Europe and Asia, and operations in more than 50 countries, the Piaggio Group has a consolidated leadership in the European two-wheeler market. The company produces scooters, motorcycles and mopeds in the 50cc to 1,200 cc displacement range, marketed under the Piaggio, Vespa, Gilera, Derbi, Aprilia, Scarabeo and Moto Guzzi brands. The Group also manufactures three- and four-wheel light transportation vehicles for the Ape, Porter and Quargo ranges.